Transcriptions of Tchaikovsky ballet scores seem almost de rigueur for organists on Priory’s recent releases, but I’m not convinced such glittering orchestral textures transfer successfully to the organ. Certainly this little concoction from Swan Lake misses the mark by miles, not least because this particular instrument is so utterly redolent of smooth, comfortable Englishness. Which is why so much of the rest of this programme works so well.
Two suites by Frederick Wood, especially the delightful Scenes on the Downs, fit this gentle giant of an organ like a glove. For a remarkable 45 years Wood was organist at Blackpool Parish Church, which makes one wonder why he seems to have been so fond of writing music in celebration of the south of England. Yet whether it was a fertile imagination or the result of personal affection for the area, he evoked the landscape quite magically. Brayne’s introspective performance suits these pieces, but it’s a style of playing (rather like the Bristol Cathedral organ itself) which does not always transfer to the medium of recording. I was disappointed by an aimless account of the magnificent Introduction and Theme, Herbert Sumsion’s finest and most substantial organ work. Here what was probably carefully measured rubato before it reached the microphones comes across as uneasy rhythmic instability. Making a most welcome reappearance in the catalogue Hendrik Andriessen’s Theme and Variations fares better. Its morose character and seamless succession of subdued colours suits both organ and player admirably.
Apart from some disturbing action clatter in the quieter passages (of which there are many), the recording captures the atmosphere of the cathedral and the warmth of the organ superbly.'